Process for making mixtures of cocoa or chocolate and milk and product thereof



Patented Apr'. 23, 1929.-

dUN lTE -D STATES CHARLES EDWARD NORTH, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO DAIRY DRINK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

I PROCESS FOR MAKING 'MIXTURES OF COCOA OR CHOCOLATE AND MILK AND PRODUCT i THEREOF.

No Drawing. Original application filed August 15, 1925, Serial No. 50,485. Dividedandithis applica I I tion filed February 9, 1926. Serial No.87,171.

This application is a division of my appli cation filed August 15, 1925, Serial No. 50,485, for process for making mixtures-of cocoa or chocolate and milk and product thereof.

Beverages comprising a mixture of cocoa and milk or chocolate and milk have frequently beenmade in thediome on a small scale and usually have been drunk approximately the scope of the business of large milk dealers,

but the use of cocoa is so unfamiliar to the milk industry that the preparation of the cocoa portion of the milk is largely in the hands of those more familiar nth cocoa and its properties.

On a commercial scale milk and cocoa mixtures have been marketed in glass bottles. The time required for mixing, bottling, shipping and distributing the beverages may occupy a day or more. Commercially the cocoa-milk mixtures are usually cooled and designed to be consumed in a condition which is cool rather than as the hot cocoaeofhome production, although such commercial mixtures may be heated if desired. The time required for the manufacture of the mixtures by the milk dealer causes certain changes in the commercial product not obvious in the hot home-made cocoa-milk beverages. Themixing of the cocoa and milk or chocolate and millnbottling and marketing of the mixtures has been performed for the most part on a comn'icrcial scale by large milk dealers as a branch of their business. The cocoa has been obtained by them in the form'of a syrup which is supplied by dealers in cocoa or in cocoa-syrup. Such syrup comprises cocoa,

' sugar and water so mixed and proportioned that it has been only necessary to add the amount specified on the labels of the cans of syrup tothe amount of Whole fluid milk also specified, whereuponthe syrup and the milk have been mixed, pasteurized, homogenized,

cooled and bottled and marketed Within a few hours or days after the bottling. Instead of using the syrup refer-redto as purchased on the market the milk dealer may make his own syrup, or he may make a mixture of cocoa or chocolate and milk in desired proportion in the usual Way but on a commercial scale.

' The most serious difliculties encountered by those promoting on a commercial scale the scales of cocoa and milk mixtures or chocolate and mik mixtures for beverages is the separation of the fat of the milk which rises to the top of the mixtures and the separation of the cocoa which falls by gravity to the bottom of the mixtures. The specific gravity of whole milk is 1.029. Since the specific gravity ofmilk fat is 0.960 and of cocoa 1.470 it will be apparent that milk fat is about 8% lighter than milk and cocoa is about 44% heavier than milk. As a consequence, if the mixture stands for only an hour or two a layer of milk fat can be seen on the top and a layer of cocoa on the bottom of the mixture in glass bottles. After standing over night there may be a layer as thick as an inch or more of creamy fat on top of the mixture and a layer as thick as a half inch of dark brown cocoa or chocolate at the bottom of such mixture referred to. Such separation of the fat and cocoa or chocolate from the mixturesdimpairs the marketability thereof. It has been proposed, s a remedy forthe separation of the milk fat and cocoa or chocolate in suc11 mixtures, to pass the mixture through a machine called a homogenlzer by means ofwhlch the fatglobules are broken up into such fine parti-- cles as to remain in suspension in the milk and fail to use. Such machines are expensive to buy and to operate, as they comprise a serles of heavy pumps compressing the liquid under pressures ranging from 1500 to. 6000 pounds to the square inch; Such machines have'no effect on the cocoaor chocolate so far as keeping it from precipitating in the mixtures is concerned for the reason that cocoa does not consist of fat" globules but of starchy and fibrous material. As a consequence, the treatment of the mixtures by 'homogenizers still leaves the mixtures in a condition in which the cocoa quickly settles to the bottom forming a brown sediment.

The object of my invention is to so treat or prepare one or more ingredients of the cocoa-milk or chocolate-milk mixture, either before or after the mixture is made, as to prevent the rising of the fat globules chocolate-milk mixture, either before or after the mixture is made, as to prevent the rising of the fat globules to the surface and the depositing of the cocoa or chocolate at the the butter fat or the particles of cocoa, or

both, to such a degree as will maintain the fat and the solid material, such as cocoa, in suspension in the liquid. I accomplish the foregoing by increasing the friction. or viscosity of the milk liquid against the surfaces of the particles of fat and the particles of cocoa to such an extent that their respective motions upwards or downwards in the mixture due to their difierences in specific gravity from the gravity of the liquid is overcome. The friction of the liquid against the surfaces of the particles of fat or of solid material, such as cocoa, in the mixture isin direct proportion to the viscosity of the liquid or fluid, by which I mean the thickness or stickiness or tenacity of the liquid or fluid. If the viscosity of water represented by 1.0 the viscosity of normal fluid milk is 1.8. The thickness or viscosity of the milk fluid can be increased in several ways.

' Thickeners or more viscous substances can be added directly to the milk or to the gocoasyrup. or to the mixture. Such thickeners include gelatine, agar, vegetable gums, such as acacia, gum tragacanth, gum arabic, Irish moss, other gums, or a mixture of lime water.

and sugar, known in the trade as viscbgen. The solids of the milk itself may be changed so that from a liquid form they assume a more solid form and increase the viscosity of I ways and possibly in other ways the viscosity of milkmay be increased at will and such.

increases in viscosity may be graduated and their effect on the rising of milk fat and the descent of cocoa in the mixture may be noted. The motion of fat particles upward and of the cocoa particles downward in a mixture of milk and cocoa is fast or slow, and such motions cannot, sofar as I am aware, be

brought absolutely to a standstill without an increase in viscosity so great that the liquid. in which these particles is suspended is absolutely rigid, as it would be if frozen. 0n the other hand, however, the friction can be increased sufficiently to make the movement of the particles so slow that no separations serious enough to impair-the commercial value of such mixtures will take place for days or even weeks. I have discovered the precise points at which the viscosity and hence the friction is sufficient to prevent the rising of the fat to the top of such mixtures for twenty-four hours. The point for fat is 2.2, which means 2.2times as viscous as water. I have also discovered the degree of viscosity and hence of friction necessary to prevent the settling of cocoa to the bottom of the mixtures of cocoa and milk for twenty-four hours. This is a viscosity of 2.5, which means a viscosity of 2 times as viscous as water.

One of the ways to increase the viscosity of the mixture is the use of vegetable gum in the cocoa-syrup itself before its use in making a cocoa-milk mixture, such as used by the milk dealer. Cocoa syrups for the purpose usually comprise dried cocoa powder or ground fiber, plus sugars of various kinds, plus suflicient water to moisten the cocoa and dissolve the sugar. A thickener comprising vegetable gum is perfectly edible and does not impair the flavor ofthe syrup or of the cocoa-milk mixture. 'The .amountof vegetable gum that may be used in the cocoa-milk mixture to give the viscosity required to prevent the movement of both milk fat and cocoa is of 1% of the total weight of the finished product. Since the syrup as usually marketed is of a bulk oc-.

cupying 25% of the finished product the syrup may consist of Per cent Cocoa Sugar '16 Vegetable gum 2 Water 74 Total 100 In the making of such syrup the mixture containing the vegetable gum may be mixed and heated and packed in tin cans.

Among the convenient thickeners for the syrup are corn-starch, gelatine, vegetable gums, such as acacia, gum .tragacanth, gum arabic, Irish moss, other gums, agar, or a mixture of lime water and sugar, known in the trade as viscogen, may be used.

Instead of the addition of a thickener, such as vegetable gum, to the cocoa-syrup such vegetable gum may be added to the milk to increase the viscosity of the milk liquid before the syrup is: mixed therewith. The proportion of vegetablegum to be placed in the milk can be the same as that described with respect to the syrup. urthermore, the cocoa and milk mixture first may he made and then the vegetable gum may be added thereto. It is referable to agitate the mixture containing the edible thickener sufliciently to thoroughly mix the. ingredients. \Vhen the vegetable gum is added to the syrup it may be done at the factory where the syrup is made, which would make possible the sale of a syrup that would provide not only the cocoa and sweetening but also a remedy to prevent the separation of the fat and cocoa from the milk. In such case it would be necessary only for the milk dealer to add milk to the thickened cocoa-syrup and proceed withthe manufacture of the bever- I event the vegetable gum would be weighed out in proper proportions, melted and diluted as necessary and mixedwith the syrup, or with the milk, or with the syrup and milk mixture.

WVhile I may use one of the thickeners alone,

such as vegetable gum, I may group two or i or to the milk certain irregularities in the demore of the thickeners, in suitable proportioiis each to increase the viscosity of the mixture. There also maybe a commercial advantage in using a combinationof two or more thickeners, such as for flavor, smoothness and appearance, with or without the use of heat, or heat and pressure, which may have a relation to the formula of the ingredients used in the composition of the entire mixture. The plurality of thickeners may be separately or successively added to the milk or to the cocoa and milk mixture, or several of the thickeners may be combined and added to the milk or cocoa and milk mixture, as may be preferred. For example, fractions of 1% of each of a number of thickeners may be used to equal, say, one-half of 1% of thickener to,' the total weight of the finished product.

The use of heat without evaporation for increasing the viscosity of milk is novel, because two ofthesolids, notfat, are affected but in a peculiar way. The albumen in cows milk amounting to .5%- of the whole and i 4%,;% of the'solids is coagulated by heat of from 145 F. to 150 F. Casein which amounts to 3.5 of the whole milk and 29%% of the solids is coagulated into a jelly-like mass at temperatures from 220 F.'to 250 F., which may bepnost conveniently produced by placing the milk in closed containers and heating the same by steam under pressure.

I have found that the application of heat to milk at temperatures of 145 F. to that of boiling, (212 F in addition to the coaguunder water. be bolted down against gaskets and steam unlation of albumen also affects the fat globules by breaking up their clusters, so that instead of clustering in-small groups the fat globules become more evenly distributed as scattered" individuals. This exposes the entire surfaces of the fat globules to the action of friction of the milk liquid and such friction is increased by the coagulation of the-albumen of the milk, and as a consequence of these two factors in milk heated to from 145 F. to 212 F. the rising of fat in the form of cream is greatly diminished. There is no' such effect oii the'cocoa in cocoa and milk mixtures because of the much greater difference be- 1 tween the specific gravity of cocoa and of milk and the fact that the increase in viscosity by the coagulation of milkalbumen alone is not enough to prevent the falling of the cocoa fibers in the-mixture. When the temperature of the milk 'and cocoa mixture is raised above 220 F., (in practise I use 240 F. for about thirty minutes), and the casein is coagulated into a jelly-like mass the increase in Viscosity of the milk becomes so great that its. friction on the cocoa fibers brings them almost to a standstill. Under such conditions motion of the cocoa fibers is so slow that they remain in suspension in themixture weeks. 7 o

When heat alone is applied to the mixture sired results may occur due to lack of care of the operator in controlling (a) the acidityfg/days or even' the mixture. Such irregularities can be entirely overcome if a thickener, such as vegetable gum, is added to the cocoa-milk mixture or to the milk and heat is then applied as described to the mixture or to the milk. This result is attained by the assistance of the vegetable gum by adding to the viscosity normally produced by the heat treatment. By the latter procedure desired results may be attained to prevent rising of the milk fat or the descent of the cocoa fibers in the mixture with lessskill than is required by the use of heat treatment alone. The sterilizing feature of the heat treatment is a desirable adjunct in any event in order to prevent de-. composition of the mixture.

For the purpose of subjecting the cocoa and milk mixtures to high temperatures and pressures the mixture may be placed in glass bottles or tins or any convenient form of container. The ordinary type of steam chest or sterilizer may be used for the purpose of heatmg, but for commercial purposes and to avoid excessive breakage of a glass bottles I prefer to use large kettles in which the bottles containing the mixture may be submerged The covers of the kettles may der pressure from a steam boiler maybe gradually injected into the kettles until the water is heated to 240 F. and the corresponding pressure attained, which pressure of about lbs. to the square inch ithin the closed bottles or containers wil be autogenous. After the, containers have been subjected to the heat and pressures set forth for a desired period of time, say at 240 F. for about 30 minutes, the steam may be exhausted from the kettle, by opening a suitable valve connected therewith, and after the water in the kettle has sufficiently cooled the containers may be removed-with their contents ready for use or shipment.

If preferred the milk alone may be treated by the heat and pressure described to increase its viscosity before the addition of the cocoasyrup or the vegetable gum, and the syrup may be added to the treated milk before or after the latter has cooled to atmospheric their perishability so far as the growth of micro-organisms is concerned. quence when proper care is taken to provide containers which are sealed so as to permit no risk of contamination the cocoa-milk mixtures so made not only do not separate but also do not decompose.

The manufacturer may, however, heat milk or skim milk containing the vegetable gum in open vessels such as pails, or cans, or tanks, placing these in steam pressure chests such as those employed in the" canning industry and after heating the contents to 240 F.

a pressure of 15 lbs. to the square inch for betweentyventy-five and thirty minutes he may then remove the milk from the pressure chest and mix cocoa or chocolate, the vege table gum and sugar with the same and place the mixture in his final containers, such as cans and bottles. By. such practice he would obtain mixtures which will not separate but would sacrifice some of the advantages of sterilization and keeping qualities for a Wider choice of containers and 'of closures for the same.

If preferred the cocoa-syrup containing the vegetable gum may be mixed with the milk As a conse-' before the hitter is subjected to theheatand pressure described, or the vegetable guin may I suitable for a beverage may be three quarts of milk to one quart of cocoa-syrup including the proportion of vegetable gum before referred to. The addition of a thickener alone (such as vegetable gum) to a cocoa-milk mixture will effectively prevent the separation and the settling of cocoa 1n such mixtures. But without the sterilizing effect of heat such mixtures are perishable as they will be decomposed in a few days by; the action of micro-organisms.

Having now described my invention what I claim is 1. That step in the process of producing fluid cocoa-milk mixtures which consists in the addition of vegetable gum and the application of hcat to the mixture to increase the viscosity of the fluid to such an extent that by its friction on their surfaces the cocoa fibers remain in suspension.

2. That step in the process of producing fluid cocoa-milk mixtures which consists in the addition of vegetable gum to the mixture to increase the viscosity of the fluid to such an extent that by its'friction on their surfaces the cocoa-fibers remain in suspension,

and heating theinixture to atemperature of about 240 F. at a pressure of about 15 lbs. to the square inch for a period of aboutthirty minutes to aid in maintaining the milk pension.

fat and the cocoa particles in suspension and i 4. A fluid beverage comprising cocoa, milk and vegetable gum in which the milk is in p a coagulated condition as a result of heat and pressure treatment and in which the combined viscosity of the coagulatedmilk and the vegetable gum is sufficient by the friction on their surfaces to hold substantially all the cocoa fibres in suspension.

CHARLES EDWARD NORTH. 

